Sept 1, 2021: As the last US troops were preparing to leave Afghanistan, Hussein, a US passport holder who worked with the US military, and his six daughters stormed Kabul airport for several days through Taliban checkpoints.

Hussain called the US embassy for several days and emailed without a reply. Then an American soldier called him and said that his only chance to fly was alone, without his daughters who are not American citizens. Hussein’s wife died in July 19, and his departure meant leaving his daughters behind.

On Monday night, the family of Hussain stood in a crowd outside Kabul Airport, hearing the roar of the last American C-17 aircraft, ending two decades of US military intervention in Afghanistan. He told press that speaking through a translator, Hussein was now among an indescribable number in Afghanistan, weighing a potentially dangerous land journey.

“I have heard from the news and relatives that thousands of people are waiting on Pakistan’s borders with Afghanistan and trying to enter Pakistan,” Hussain said.

As he ponders a possible journey to Tajiskistan he wondered how he would be able to take care of his daughters on the street if he left.

After the withdrawal of US troops, US evacuation flights ended, and no commercial flights from Kabul airport, which has no air traffic control, led to ad hoc private efforts to rescue thousands of Afghans without Taliban security assurances.

Talks between the Taliban, Qatar and Turkey on how to run the airport could take days or weeks to finalize. Many have already fled east and south to Pakistan, trying to reach Afghanistan’s borders with other Central Asian states.

Traveling through Taliban checkpoints on hundreds of miles of dirt roads in private cars, public buses and minibuses is fraught with danger, especially for ex-military and security officers and government officials.

Holders of foreign passports such as Hussein, Afghans with visas were among those who made it so far.

The UN refugee agency says half a million Afghans could flee their country by the end of the year.

Since the Taliban take over of Kabul more than 122,000 people, including about 6,000 Americans, have been evacuated from Kabul.

Secretary of State Anthony Blinken on Monday vowed to continue a “relentless effort” to help the remaining 200 Americans in the country and release at-risk Afghans.

He said it would be difficult to help people travel abroad via roads.

“It will be a completely different stage from the evacuation that has just ended.“

Tens of thousands of Afghans who worked for the US government and applied for special immigration visas (SIVs) and many at-risk Afghans are still in the country.

Tajikistan has promised to accept 100,000 Afghan refugees, while Uzbekistan has promised to allow transit from its territory to Americans and possibly others from Afghanistan. But it was not clear how many people, if so far, the two countries have actually allowed in.

A diplomatic source said on condition of anonymity that Pakistan, home to more than 1.4 million Afghan refugees, admitted about 2,000 to 2,000 Afghans working through foreign missions, international organizations and non-governmental groups.

According to a US army veteran helping in the evacuation effort, “The overland option is the only thing that’s possible right now.”

Some private groups helping Afghans escape said they are advising people not to try to reach the country’s frontiers unless they have worked for a a foreign government or agency and actively believe they are at risk from Taliban.

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